TANGLING IN ATC SIZE

A bit of playing in my studio.  Hope you like it.  Sending love to all.

ENGLISH CAMP IN UKRAINE

Getting the team over the rope without touching it.

Getting through the web.

Fun songs.

Card making at noon time.

Last week we had over 200 kids registered for English camp.  We did sports, songs, crafts (my part) and English.  Lots of fun for all of us.

THE VIEW

This is what it looks like from out my front door looking east in the morning.  I love how the trees cast shadows across the yard.  We live in a pine forest so even though we have lots of trees, we still get sunlight because those trees are so tall.

ALTERED BOOKS ???

I've had people ask me what did I mean by the term "altered book."  So here's a good explanation I think you'll enjoy.
http://gomakesomething.com/ht/thebasics/altered-book/

CAMP AT BETHANY CHURCH ~ UKRAINE

Camp started at 9:30 each morning, though the most excited ones were there sooner.  The first activity was assembly where they heard Bible stories, saw a skit or a movie.

One of my craft activities where bead necklaces with pony beads.  Even the boys made them for their mom's.  So cute.

The oldest group made these boxes, though far from finished here.  They did lots more decorating.   This is the group of kids I invited to return to do a regular craft class starting tomorrow, Saturday.  Would appreciate your prayers for this that they would have remembered from a week ago.

Showing off the mini-books we did with old CDs as a base.  Even this, my youngest group made beautiful books.  They wee so proud of themselves.  I love what I do.

Sweet Dasha is from another church where I have done crafts for a couple of years with the ladies.  We've done prayer journals.   She came to observe how we do camp in our church and to help. She was a blessing.

This is the group I invited for craft class tomorrow.  They were pretty inventive with their projects.  I  just love how free children are with their creative endeavors.

Can you imagine such joy these little ones had with making puppets from foam figures and Popsicle sticks?  They didn't want to stop.

Each day was ended with assembly in the church hall again.  Here is the giving out of prizes.  Now that was a reason to come back and finish the day.

Can you tell how he was happy with his prize by how he's cuddling it?

Darling little Vica.  Having been in Ukraine for close to 20 years, I've known Vica and many of the children from birth.  What a privilege to do what I do.

Little Andre is wearing his beads for his mama and happy with his prize too.

Anastasia really liked painting on her t-shirt.  She's one I"m sure will come back for our class.

This is the front of Christina's book (see her name in Russian).  Every book went home with a lovely big gem provided by Cynthia Henderson of Texas.  They loved those gems.  Thanks, Cynthia for your love of children.

There were outdoor games everyday including parachute games.  Thanks to Dan and Cindy Williams of Arkansas for providing the parachute.

The last day, last assembly was to receive gifts provided by Samaratin's Purse.

No doubt how happy they all were to get this prize.

On their way home with their prize and their ice cream cone.  A happy ending to a happy week.  Please pray that some of these children who have not been in the church will start coming to Sunday school.  Your prayers and provision of craft materials are always appreciated.  I couldn't do it without you.

HOPE

Just playing around with my pens.  "For thou are my hope, oh Lord God: thou are my trust from my youth."  Psalm 71:5

GOURDS AT CAMP

 This is Dima. A very small boy for his age, but quite creative showing off his painted gouards.

 On this day I was having trouble with the boys.  They were all goofing off and getting into things...until....I brought out the gourds.  Suddenly I had their attention.  They loved painting them. Was I ever relieved.  I found something that would hold their attention.

 Gourds were sent to me by Kristin Johnson in Kansas and Liz Drake in Illinois.  Both are Facebook cyber friends who'd seen what I do with kids.  Thank you ladies for letting God use you.

 Some of what was done.  They were pretty.

 Here, painting gourds and painting t-shirts.

Even their Sunday school teacher decided to get in on the gourd painting.  I thought she did a terrific job with her.  Thanks for the gourds, ladies.  Couldn't have tried this without you.  It was a hit.  I just love how God provides.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT TREES?

I'm posting this lovely picture not so much for the saying as I really don't care for it.  Rumi has some really good quotes out there, this is just not one of them....in my opinion.  Nonetheless, I just love the tree and that's why I'm posting it.  I have a whole collection of tree art on my Pinterest site so if you'd like to go see some just click here: www.pinterest.com/coleenfranks

So what do you think?  Do you like trees too?

BETHANY CHURCH OF BUCHA, UKRAINE ~ KID'S KAMP

They loved making bead necklaces.

Even the boys who said they were making them for their moms.

Silk flowers and old buttons made beautiful decorations.

These boxes sat in storage forever before I finally figured out what to do with them. More silk flowers and buttons.

Such fun this week doing crafts with the kids at church.  We had about 30 on Monday and more than that today on Tuesday.  Though we are doing a variety of projects, the main project is a CD disk mini-album.  We are using the CDs as the base for each page that they cover in scrapbook papers.  Each day they will add the "verse of the day" along with other pretty pictures and ephemera.  The flowers are decorated with old buttons people have donated as well.  The star boxes will also have a verse each day.  The top pictures show the kids having fun with beads thanks to someone who sent lanyard for them to bead upon.  So grateful for all who help make this ministry to the children happen with your generous donations of supplies.  I couldn't do it without you.  Such a blessing to so many.
If you want to see more pictures go to our other blog: www.franksukraine.blogspot.com or click the link on the right.  And I'd love it if you "followed" on our blogs.

DRAWING ON A BUDGET FROM ABOUT.COM

http://drawsketch.about.com/cs/tipsandideas/a/cheapdrawing.htm

GELLI PRINTING ~ A DIFFERENT APPROACH

THIS WAS SO COOL I HAD TO RE-POST IT.  I'M SO GOING TO DO THIS.  THANKS ROBIN BUYS FOR  POSTING ON FACEBOOK.

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE

CLICK ON IT TO MAKE MORE READABLE

MIXED-MEDIA PAGE ~ PARIS

I started out doing this for a swap, but since I have a grand daughter who, at 10 years old, for some reason is in love with the whole idea of Paris,  I decided it needed to go to her.  This started out with Glitter Mist spray (Scarlet) on white card stock followed by stamping with a celery stalk dipped in red paint.  I wasn't real happy how that turned out.  I was hoping for more of a flower looking appearance to the stamp image.  Then my new Eiffel Tower stamp (that buy prompted by her love of Paris), followed by collage bits and ephemera.  Hope you like it.

ROCK PAINTING

Alright, I don't know why I have this fascination with arting on rocks, but I've been doing it lately.  This one sits in a rather out-of-the-way spot in my garden amongst the greenery.  Like a surprise waiting to be discovered. Maybe using rocks has to do with that they are free or that they are more permanent than paper?  I don't know, but I have several smaller rocks (than this) in process on my window sill in the living room.  My dear sweet husband sometimes quips that my art is taking over the whole house.  Hmmm, one giant studio, that's not a bad idea.  Kid's have flown the nest so one bedroom has become my sewing/beading room.  His office (not much being used) is another possibility.  Of course, I'd have to be more sneaky about niggling my way into there.  Maybe I could just take over one bookshelf.  Do you suppose he'd notice?  I mean, what can one say about giving up one little shelf, right? 

LADIES CAMP IN UKRAINE

Such a sweet group of ladies.

That's me standing behind the ladies.  They made such pretty cards. 

Two of our proud ladies, Natasha and Dina.

Listening intently on the topic of dealing with offenses.  A good topic for all.

Some light moments while creating.  We all get to feel like children again when we create.

Oxsanna, who led the group even made a card.  Posing with me, the shorty.

So grateful to all those who send supplies that I can do this ministry.  I bring everything they use and I couldn't do it without you.  You are a blessing to many.

VINTAGE MIXED-MEDIA FUN

So I journaled over an old dictionary page that I'd used to clean my brushes.  Then started blinging it up with Pitt pens, silk flowers and rhinestones.  I do like the old pictures.  Real people who actually lived in a real time.  Of course, I"m sure this lovely lady didn't wear her eyes like this.  Just gotta experiment sometimes.

CITY SCAPE DOODLING

 Everybody does it, in some form or another.  You probably did it when you were in school listening (or not) to that boring teacher.  In fact, it's been found that those that doodle can actually absorb more while they are doodling.  Yea, right, tell the teacher that.  So this is just one of my playful, childlike ways I relax.  I'm not a big TV fan and I don't play computer games, but I can do this while the TV is on and enjoy both more.  These were done in winter.  Now my days are spent in preparing for elder camp and kid's camp.  Doing crafts for both...so fun, but lots of prep.

Don't ask me why these photos turned out so weird.  They weren't that way in my files, but blogger decided to make them even more whimsical than they already were.